Investigation Into City Of Las Vegas Fire Academy ConcludesClass Not To Be Certified

Following an extensive investigation into the possibility of cheating, city officials have decided not to certify the latest Las Vegas Fire & Rescue (LVFR) academy. Circumstances surrounding the written testing process prompted the city to not move forward with the graduation of the 14-member class.

The fire academy graduation scheduled for Feb. 14, 2013, was suspended following suspicions by the state Fire Marshal Division of cheating on an exam within the LVFR class. Since then an investigation into those suspicions was conducted.

The city will begin the process of recruiting another fire academy. It will also establish a plan to cover the loss of the 14 graduates.

“The city is not going to compromise the quality of its service nor the character or integrity of our organization,” said Chief Public Safety Officer Karen Coyne. “Integrity is a core value of our organization, and we took these allegations very seriously.”